If you’re gonna adapt classic literature into a film, at least do something inventive. To its credit, “Clarissa” does just that, drawing on Virginia Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway and setting it in modern-day Lagos, Nigeria. Written and directed by Arie and Chuko Esiri, sibling newcomers from Nigeria, the film parallels the author’s post-World War I story with a country still impacted by colonialism and just beginning to settle into democracy. It’s a confidently made, beautifully shot film with a strong ensemble cast, yet the narrative becomes unnecessarily convoluted as the story unfolds. After premiering at the Director’s Fortnight sidebar at last May’s Cannes Film Festival, “Clarissa” has been working the festival circuit before it receives a December 11th release from Neon.

When we meet the titular character, played by a luminous Sophie Okonedo, she is planning a lavish party at her spacious Lagos estate. No Dalloway surname appears, suggesting the writing/directing siblings are more concerned with the generalities of Woolf’s novel. She is elegant and stylish, surrounded by servants who help her with every detail of the party. She treats them with respect, unlike the harshness her father showed the servants she grew up with, which the film weaves in flashbacks to thirty years earlier. These scenes, set in Abraka (southern Africa), provide important context for the characters we encounter in the present day.

She’s married to Richard (Jude Akuwudike), a decent but dull man who works for Shell, a fact that, for Clarissa, given the anticolonialism of her youth, may be a persistent ache of disillusion. We meet his younger version (Jable Osai) as he integrates into Clarissa’s circle of friends, but there’s never any indication of a romantic spark between them, past or present. The opposite can be said for the interaction between young Clarissa (a marvelous India Ria Amarteifio, “Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story”) and Peter (a charming Toheeb Jimoh, “Ted Lasso”), who appears to be more in love with her than she is with him, despite the pair having an inseparable friendship. He’s an aspiring poet who crumbles under her gentle criticism. She’s not harsh, but he treasures her every word, and it can still cut him to the heart.

Given time, these two could potentially be perfect for each other. So, what happened? The best part of “Clarissa” is how subtly the characterization develops. Thoughts often hide feelings, both unsaid between Clarissa and Peter, as socioeconomic expectations and the noise of their lives drown out any growth in their relationship.

Young Clarissa’s friends include the outgoing, opinionated Sally (a terrific Ayo Edebiri) and the easygoing, amiable Ugo (Kehinde Cardoso), who’s friends with everyone. They spend much of their time by the river where Clarissa lives, either relaxing in a hammock or cooling off in the water. Thirty years later, they’ll realize how special those moments were. Some of those memories may come back later at Clarissa’s party. That’s when Clarissa will see Peter (a heartbreaking David Oyelowo) and Sally (Nikki Amuka-Bird) as her adult peers. Peter doesn’t write that much anymore, after his work never truly took off.  He remains single, and beneath his panache, he hides a lovelorn heart for Clarissa, the love of his life who never went anywhere. Sally still exudes confidence and is now a mother to a young boy, a role she likely didn’t plan. They probably haven’t seen Clarissa in forty years, and there’s a palpable melancholy that hangs in the air between the trio.

If the story had balanced the past and present of these friendships, it would’ve been compelling enough, perhaps even more than the ending. Instead, an added storyline with different characters proves confusing and convoluted. There is a troubled soldier named Septimus (Fortune Nwafor), whose wife works as a seamstress for Clarissa, and who eventually receives treatment for depression and PTSD from a therapist who is married to one of Clarissa’s friends. Septimus is deeply affected by his close relationship with his staff sergeant, whose tough military bearing he admires, but this staff sergeant is unsettled by his contempt for the platoon’s commanding officer, who is sending them out to engage the enemy, the terror group Boko Haram, with insufficient ammunition. This story deserves its own film.

I’ve never read Woolf’s novel, so for all I know, this side story is in the novel. If it is, it could’ve been integrated more clearly into Clarissa’s story. The only connection between the two storylines is an understated sadness. As it is, the Septimus story feels shortened and neglected, and a wholly different story from the one involving Clarissa.

“Clarissa” is only the second Nigerian film to premiere at Cannes, after “My Father’s Shadow” (which became the UK’s Oscar submission) debuted the previous year. Arie and Chuko definitely seem to be at the forefront of a wave of independent Nigerian filmmakers. This is their second feature after their 2020 feature-length debut, “Eyimofe: This Is My Desire,” and while “Clarissa” didn’t totally sell me on its storytelling choices, it nevertheless boasts unforgettable visuals and wholly compelling performances.

RATING: **1/2